Tweedaddict
123 posts
Feb 25, 2014
2:23 PM
|
Can anyone offer up a good system for getting decent video/sound of Amplified harmonica recorded and then onto Youtube? I keep struggling with lousy sound,clipping etc.
My own miserable attempts - here:
have never sounded accurate to my ears...
I have a friend with a TON of amps.. sonny jr, meteor,wezo,mission, then loads of great vintage amps as well...I'm going to help him document them in short harp demos... (he'll do the playing thankfully, as he CAN play)
Any good suggestions on recorders/gear to use, settings etc are greatly appreciated?
Last Edited by Tweedaddict on Feb 25, 2014 2:25 PM
|
rogonzab
476 posts
Feb 25, 2014
3:12 PM
|
Most of the times the problem whit that is not the recording mic, the problem is the pc speaker. There is no way in the universe that a pc speaker can give an accuarte reproduction of the sound of a 4x10 amp.
One way to record is to mic the amp, you can do that whit a simple usb audio interface an a vocal mic, the you sync whit the video.
|
Kingley
3480 posts
Feb 25, 2014
10:19 PM
|
I suspect that the problem is your mic input on the video recorder is set to high. You seem to be getting a very compressed, highly distorted sound (I doubt the amp sounds like that?). I would try turning down the recording mic and see what happens. If you're still having problems then I'd suggest emailing Oxharp. He seems to have got the recording thing sorted out.
Last Edited by Kingley on Feb 25, 2014 10:20 PM
|
CWinter
118 posts
Feb 26, 2014
8:50 AM
|
@Kingley
Would you say that that is an issue with recording in general? I want to make a couple of audio recordings and upload them here. I'll be using a Zoom H4N. Would you advise turning the recording level down from say, 100%? Thanks for all the advice!!
|
Kingley
3481 posts
Feb 26, 2014
9:51 AM
|
CWinter - Yes I would say so. Most people set the mic level on their recording gear too high and end up with lots of clipping in the signal. This distorts the sound excessively and can give you that angry wasp in a can sound. I would say as a general rule of thumb that setting your mic recording level around 40% would be a much safer bet. Of course it'll take some practice to find the sweet spot.
|
rainman
129 posts
Feb 26, 2014
10:02 AM
|
The best way to record is direct to pc through a recording interface into a sound editor program. There's a sound editor called GoldWave that you can download and try out for free. A simple usb interface like the M-Audio M Track has 2 (stereo) Mic inputs and 2 1/4" inputs and would allow you several methods to record audio. You could upload to SoundCloud and include an image file and it would sound better than youtube.
|
HarpNinja
3801 posts
Feb 26, 2014
12:57 PM
|
I tried a Zoom H4N as a usb mic with a webcam and it sounds awful. I got the clipping to go away, but it adds essentially a wah effect to everything. Annoying!
I have to figure out the issue.
----------
Mike
My Website
My Harmonica Effects Blog
Rock Harmonica Lessons
|
Rick Davis
3007 posts
Feb 26, 2014
2:25 PM
|
Zoom Q3HD. That is what I use on all the videos I post here.
----------
-Little Rick Davis
The Memphis Mini harp amp
The Blues Harp Amps Blog
The Mile High Blues Society
|
Tweedaddict
124 posts
Feb 26, 2014
4:50 PM
|
Thanks All... Rick is that Zoom Unit easy to use? I'm a technoboob and like point and click :)
|
Rick Davis
3009 posts
Feb 26, 2014
5:21 PM
|
Tweedaddict, it is way easy. Pretty much point and shoot. Actually, it has been replaced by the Zoom Q2HD which costs less: under $200.
----------
-Little Rick Davis
The Memphis Mini harp amp
The Blues Harp Amps Blog
The Mile High Blues Society
|
Tweedaddict
126 posts
Feb 26, 2014
5:30 PM
|
Rick,
Nice! How far away is the camera on average when you or whomever is filming?
|
blueswannabe
415 posts
Feb 26, 2014
8:09 PM
|
I use an iPhone 5. Works great!
|
Rick Davis
3010 posts
Feb 26, 2014
8:26 PM
|
Tweed, the best thing about the Zoom Q3HD is the stereo linear PCM audio. The video is pretty good but the zoom is digital and can get pixelated pretty quickly. You have to spend a lot more money to get a good optical zoom. So, I tend to get right up to the band when I shoot the video. I'm usually about 10 feet from the stage.
----------
-Little Rick Davis
The Memphis Mini harp amp
The Blues Harp Amps Blog
The Mile High Blues Society
|
Rick Davis
3011 posts
Feb 26, 2014
8:28 PM
|
My 'droid phone actually has better video than the Zoom but the sound is not stereo and not nearly as much fidelity.
----------
-Little Rick Davis
The Memphis Mini harp amp
The Blues Harp Amps Blog
The Mile High Blues Society
|
garry
497 posts
Feb 26, 2014
8:56 PM
|
it is important to set recording levels so you don't clip. on the Zooms, there is a mic gain setting as well as recording level. if your recording sounds distorted your levels are probably too high. i always err on the low side, because i can always boost the audio in postprocessing. but once you get clipping, you can fix that.
i second the q2hd (was q3hd) recommendation. great devices. i wish the video quality was a little better, especially in low light, but the sound quality is great, and that matters more to me.
if you buy any video recorder, make sure you buy a decent sized SD card for it. i've not tried a 32G, but i use a 16G card and carry a spare. 16G is enough to record a long gig. the spare is in case i do something boneheaded like forget to erase the previous gig and it gets full.
----------
|
Rick Davis
3012 posts
Feb 26, 2014
9:08 PM
|
Everything garry wrote about the Zoom camcorder is spot on. At the jam I use the Low gain setting. I don't like auto-gain settings because they can "pump" the sound up and down.
Carry spare batteries, too. It takes two AA batteries, and depending on the resolution settings of your audio and video they can get drained in about an hour.
But, the Zoom products are excellent values. I recommend them.
----------
-Little Rick Davis
The Memphis Mini harp amp
The Blues Harp Amps Blog
The Mile High Blues Society
Last Edited by Rick Davis on Feb 26, 2014 9:09 PM
|
kudzurunner
4568 posts
Feb 27, 2014
3:40 AM
|
I'll second everything that has been said about the Zoom Q2HD. I got one several months ago and have used it to record most of my recent videos--the Blues Docs, Satan & Adam. The battery-thing is right on: bring spares, pay close attention to the battery level, and if you're recording a full set, think about replacing the batteries before the set. Also, pay attention to the recording level. I believe there's a setting where it automatically adjusts, much like a camera with an auto-exposure level. The best thing about the sound is the low end. You get beautiful, full, round bass reponse. If you listen back with headphones, it's amazing--although of course most people don't listen to YT vids with headphones.
|
blueswannabe
416 posts
Feb 27, 2014
10:06 AM
|
Would anyone suggest the ZOOMQ 2HD for recording practice sessions for feedback purposes. And I'm talking about ease of use, record, rewind, and listen.
|
garry
499 posts
Mar 01, 2014
9:40 PM
|
@wannabe: yes, the zoom is fine for that. if you just want audio, they sell an audio recorder for around $100. but i'd recommend going the extra for video if you can swing it. regarding ease of use, i stcik it on a mic stand, zoom in to get the framing i want, check the recording level to make sure it doesn't clip, then hit record, and forget it. i never use the unit to playback. it comes with a usb connection to a computer, but i just pop the sd card out and plug it into the card reader on my computer and do everything there.
i highly recommend recording yourself as a valuable learning tool. i've been doing this for years. i don't usually like what i hear, but i always learn from it. and the reality is that when you're on stage, you don't have any idea what you sound like out in the room. a recorder lets you do that. once you have one, you'll find yourself recording all the time, because why not? you can always delete it later.
----------
|
garry
500 posts
Mar 01, 2014
9:43 PM
|
incidentally, i also highly recommend getting a good set of rechargeable batteries. i use the sanyo enelope batteries for my recorder (and camera), and they're great. i don't feel guilty about toxic waste, and i don't get tempted to skimp on battery changes between sets, thus avoiding the pain of being onstage and seeing the recording light blink out right in the middle of a smoking hot jam.
----------
|
bonedog569
907 posts
Mar 01, 2014
11:36 PM
|
I wanna back you up a moment and ask - how good do you want the video (with sound) to be? A zoom will get you quite decent sound if it's set right and placed in a good position, but it will be more like hearing the sound of the amp in the room you recorded it. If you want the amp to sound like it's in the listener's space, you need to close-mic the amps - as they do in recording studios. Standard amp mics are sm57's and now sen. e609's. You'd record into the pc or mac with an audio interface and a DAW software like pro-tools, or logic etc. You can then tweak the recorded sound a bit, bring it into your video editing software and synch it to the video.
When recording and video taping, - clap your hands at the start of each take to make synching easier.
Likewise with video taping - lighting is key, - along with framing your shots.
I'm not an engineer - but I play one in my basement.
|
Rick Davis
3018 posts
Mar 02, 2014
8:44 AM
|
Yes, the Zoom video recorders are great for recording your practice and rehearsals. Zoom sells a power supply so you you won't have to use all the batteries.
----------
-Little Rick Davis
The Memphis Mini harp amp
The Blues Harp Amps Blog
The Mile High Blues Society
|
